Velvet and untrue
by Blue Crow
Summary: HBP COMPLIANT. Snape is given a less than favourable mission by the dark lord, and is forced to live with and care for an 18 year old female hostage. Will the two come to an understanding or simply clash at every opportunity?
1. My Velvet Little Darkness

**Velvet and Untrue**

_You give me substance  
You give me cold hands  
Our love is just more than just alone  
And when you want me  
Everything should be  
Only for our wicked ebony_

_You always said to me  
That it's dark in your heart  
And I should believe  
That you won't be here for years  
What I want is impossible to be  
You will deny me once in a while  
It's velvet but it's untrue_

_You give me my lust  
And you are my frost  
I hate what you do but can't resist  
To your sweet charming  
And always harming  
Cold little embrace  
It's what I need_

_You always said to me  
That it's dark in your heart  
And I should believe  
That you won't be here for years  
What I want is impossible to be  
You will deny me once in a while  
It's velvet but it's untrue_

_You give me cold hands  
You give me a sweet dread  
I'm sure I miss you_

_You always said to me  
That it's dark in your heart  
And I should believe  
That you won't be here for years  
What I want is impossible to be  
You will deny me once in a while  
It's velvet but it's untrue_

**My velvet little darkness – Lacrimas Profundere**

The summer after the Hogwarts attack brought with it unusually warm, dry weather. Students travelled home with the knowledge that they may never again return to their school and from that moment on their lives would be changing for better, or for worse. As could be expected, the daily prophet relentlessly heralded news of murders, torture and other such terrible happenings. Whole families were targeted and destroyed (often for no beneficial reason at all) by the death eaters and (which was even more terrifying) Voldemort had begun to personally accompany them on an increasing occurrence. Dumbledore's death had acted as a key, which had unlocked the one and only gate restricting Voldemort from doing as he pleased. He no longer feared a living soul, which inflated his already heightened sense of power.

Somewhere in the darkness a man awoke and instinctively clutched his left forearm in an attempt to ease the stabbing pain. As it slowly began to recede, he propped himself onto his elbows allowing his dark curtain of hair to fall forward and cover his face. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he swung his pale legs off the bed and hastily pulled on his robes. It was an unforgiving hot summers night without a breath of wind, and the last thing Severus Snape desired was to run off on a mission, but the dark Lord had called him and he was obliged to answer.

The meeting place for that night was a withered garden with patchy yellowing grass and a broken birdbath nearby. Expecting to take his place in the full circle, Snape was surprised to find himself alone except for 4 others. He hastily took his place and stood stock still, his long dark robes unmoving.

"I have called you here tonight," started the familiar cold, ruthless voice "on a mission of particular importance. As you may well have noticed, our _friendship_ circle is not as…large as usual" he sneered menacingly. "This is because you are my most capable followers. You should be eternally proud that I have chosen _you_ to do _my_ bidding."

"We are not worthy Lord," they chorused bowing low to the pale, hooded figure in the centre. Snape's dark eyes fell on the death eater standing directly opposite, whom he knew to be Bellatrix Lestrange and who wore a smile of pure triumph upon her wicked face. A muggy silence fell and, for a few minutes, all that could be heard was the distant sound of running water.

"Lucius and Narcissa," Voldemort snapped, "you must capture Octavia Turner. Return her to me alive." They each bowed and within seconds were gone in a flurry of silver hair and expensive robes. "Bellatrix," he barked, "interrogate the Burns' for me. There is no need to return them alive." Bellatrix bowed so low, Snape was sure she was about to fall over and had to restrain himself from laughing at her dog like obedience. Voldemort seemed to sense this, as the second Bellatrix had disapparated he walked over to face Snape, removing his mask with a lazy flick of his wand. "And you, Severus" his crimson eyes bore into Snape's, but as always were met by a defensive mental wall. "Still with the occlumency. No matter. You are, as of today in charge of a hostage." Snape knew he had been able to answer back without consequence of the cruciatus ever since the night he murdered Dumbledore, and he relished this fact.

"What sort of a hostage, my Lord?" he asked silkily.

"She is 18 and the only child of a Ministry official. There is a good chance that she could provide us with the means to extract information from her mother. We both know how defensive mothers can be." He finished coldly, emphasising the point.

"And where is she?" Snape asked, his mouth dry.

"Already at your living arrangements. She is to live with you, but never leave or make contact with the outside world. I have entrusted her to you and you alone, but don't worry," he added with an icy laugh "you are experienced in taking care of children. Until our next meeting."

"My lord" Snape said, bowing. There he stood for a long while after Voldemort had disapparated, simply unable to move from the spot. Although the early morning air was hot and stuffy (even more so than the night's) he found himself shivering in the wake of his task. Silently, Snape turned in mid air and disapparated, his dark robes billowing for a moment before the garden became still and empty once more.

I know this chapter was extremely short, but I wanted to use it as a sort of pilot to see what you all think of the plot. Please review if you think its worth carrying on with or not, but it might be a while before I update again because I have A levels next week which is lame. More reviews will speed up my writing process!! Cough cough hint hint


	2. From Yesterday

He's a stranger to some  
And a vision to none  
He can never get enough,  
Get enough of the world

For a fortune he'd quit  
But it's hard to admit  
How it ends and begins  
On his face is a map of the world  
(A map of the world)  
On his face is a map of the world  
(A map of the world)  
From yesterday, it's coming  
From yesterday, the fear  
From yesterday, it calls him  
But he doesn't want to read the message here

On a mountain he sits, not of gold but of sin  
Through the blood he can learn, see the life that he took  
From a council of one  
He'll decide when he's done with the innocent

On his face is a map of the world  
(A map of the world)  
On his face is a map of the world  
(A map of the world)

From yesterday, it's coming  
From yesterday, the fear  
From yesterday, it calls him  
But he doesn't want to read the message  
he doesn't want to read the message  
He doesn't want to read the message here

On his face is a map of the world

From yesterday, it's coming  
From yesterday, the fear  
From yesterday, it calls him  
But he doesn't want to read the message here  
From yesterday,  
From yesterday,  
From yesterday, the fear  
From yesterday,  
From yesterday  
But he doesn't want to read the message  
He doesn't want to read the message  
he doesn't want to read the message here

**From yesterday – 30 Seconds To Mars**

The universe ceased to spin around him as Severus Snape apparated into his hallway. He could hear someone sobbing in one of the other rooms and pressed a hand against his forehead in dismay, mustering all of his self-control not to start smashing the phials of potions and numerous jars lining the walls out of frustration.

"Shit…how am I supposed to deal with this? As if I wasn't busy enough already," he muttered angrily massaging his temples. Deciding to leave his mask and cloak on, he peered into the dusty living room. The blinds were shut in a feeble attempt to keep the persistent heat out, but due to their age they were fraying in places and allowed strips of sunlight to fall upon the otherwise dark and dreary room. His anger at being given such a laborious task began to peak as the hostage continued to sob.

Taking a deep breath, Snape walked into the room and his gaze immediately fell upon a chair which had been placed in the centre. She was blindfolded, gagged and her body was seemingly bound by invisible ropes. Her shoulder length blonde hair was matted and appeared wind swept. He viewed the scene with disgust for a few moments before ripping off the piece of paper which had been stapled to the front of her robes (which themselves were ripped and torn in places). His dark eyes flew across the writing quickly and efficiently, memorising each point.

_Her name is Alexis Harrows, daughter of Lola Harrows_

_Her wand was Phoenix Feather, redwood, 8 ¾ inches but has been destroyed forthwith_

_Her mother is the head of the Department of Magical Concealment and Secrecy. This is all you need to know_

_She is of unprecedented importance, and must therefore be kept alive._

It felt as though his stomach had fallen through the floor as he read and re-read her name in disbelief. Alexis Harrows had only just graduated from Hogwarts and had been in his classes for 7 years. She was intelligent and had always been well mannered, despite his most sarcastic and cold comments. _Get a grip_ he thought. _You cannot be attached in any way to a hostage. She is merely a temporary encumbrance, nothing more._ And with that the note burst into flames and was no more. With a flick of his wand he tapped his neck and felt the distinct sensation of swallowing a large quantity of icy water.

"Alexis" he said in a voice that did not belong to him. It was much too high and was devoid of his usual sneering expression, but none the less it would keep his identity hidden. "If I removed the gag would you be quiet?" the girl nodded frantically and with a wave of his hand the material vanished. She continued to cry, (though more quietly) as Snape surveyed the harsh red marks left behind by the gag on her pale skin. He brushed away any remote feelings of sympathy and pressed on.

"This will work as a two way street Miss Harrows, and I mean that in all seriousness. Behave well and everything will go smoothly, but behave badly and I will be forced to punish you. You are, as of today (his composure slipped momentarily as he reminded himself of his master) my property. Do you understand?" She made to open her mouth, but only a broken sob came out.

"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" he bellowed.

"Yes" she whispered, terrified.

"Good. I'm a very busy man so do not disturb me with incessant sobbing or screams for help. Yours and my whereabouts are unplottable, so you might as well be screaming into a vacuum" he finished silkily. Alexis nodded sadly as great tears rolled down her cheeks. He frowned and added coldly "Pull yourself together". Striding in the direction of the kitchen with his dark robes billowing dangerously, he turned back to view the appalling state of the living room.

"Could you untie me? There's little damage I can do without my wand," she said in no more than a whisper. He considered her request for a moment, then swiped at the air with his black wand and her arms sprung automatically from her sides. She pulled the blindfold from her eyes and threw it to the dusty floor, looking round at the dingy room, and finally at her captor.

Snape turned and entered the kitchen, unable to endure her pleading stares and silvery eyes swimming with tears. As he filled a cup with water and slowly drank it, he heard her move in the other room. His pupils narrowed instantly and with his free hand he reached for his wand. Just as he'd expected, she threw a glass jar with all her might aimed at his head, but he deflected it and it shattered into millions of tiny pieces on the floor. Frantically, she picked up a jar filled with what looked like blood and hurled it at him once more. Dodging to the left he sent a red jet of light streaming towards her, and upon contact she fell backwards stiff as a board. Snape ran to catch her and found himself once again face to face with those silver eyes. Slapping her hard across the face, he left her lying on the floor for a moment, unable to move and defeated. Reaching his arm towards the counter, he lifted her head and tipped a phial of dreamless sleep into her inanimate mouth and, when sure she had swallowed, lifted the petrificus totalus curse. She took in a rattling breath as a single, perfect tear rolled from the corner of her eye. Her cheek had turned a bright red from the contact with his hand. Unexpectedly she reached towards her captors face and pulled off his mask. Snape held her, never the less, as her drowsy eyes widened slightly and she gave a small gasp.

"Professor Snape" she muttered before overcome by sleep, falling limp and lifeless once again. _When she wakes up she will think it was a dream_ he thought to himself as he picked her up and ascended the stairs. _Foolish, ungrateful girl. How dare she throw things at me? If she had been given to Lucius, or any of the others for that matter... _He suppressed a shudder as memories of interrogations and other terrible events came flooding back to him. _She is lucky that she was assigned to me._

Kicking the bedroom door open with his foot, Snape placed her lifeless body onto his bed and walked back downstairs to fetch the necessary items to perform a boundary charm. _Something tells me that this is but a taste of what's to come _he thought to himself grimly.

* * *

Thank you so much to my 3 reviewers!!! I hope you all like this chapter, but personally I don't like it that much. Atleast now the boring beginning bits are over and done with and I can move onto the actual story!!! Please give me some more nice reviews or I wont be compelled to update again. Thank youuuu 


	3. With You

**With you**

_I woke up in a dream today  
To the cold of the static and put my cold feet on the floor  
Forgot all about yesterday  
Remembering I'm pretending to be where I'm not anymore  
A little taste of hypocrisy  
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake slow to react  
Even though you're so close to me  
And you're still so distant and I can't bring you back _

_It's true the way I feel  
Was promised by your face  
The sound of your voice  
Painted on my memories  
Even if you're not with me  
I'm with you_

_You now I see keeping everything inside  
You now I see even when I close my eyes_

_I hit you and you hit me back  
We fall to the floor the rest of the day stands still  
Fine line between this and that  
When things go wrong I pretend that the past isn't real  
Now I'm trapped in this memory  
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake slow to react  
So even though you're close to me  
You're still so distant  
And I can't bring you back_

_It's true the way I feel  
Was promised by your face  
The sound of your voice  
Painted on my memories  
Even if you're not with me  
I'm with you _

_You now I see keeping everything inside  
You now I see even when I close my eyes No  
No matter how far we've come  
I can't wait to see tomorrow  
No matter how far we've come I  
I can't wait to see tomorrow_

**With you – Linkin Park**

The morning of August 5th dawned bright and scorching, much alike everyday that preceded it. The Death Eaters scars had begun to burn at 3am and within minutes they had once again been summoned to the familiar full circle, which this time stood in a darkened room of what appeared to be an abandoned manor house.

"Today…I received word of the Ministry's plans" The Dark Lord began, in an unreadable voice. "It seems that they believe they are, how to put it…winning?"

Several of the masked figures sniggered and one gave a particularly loud and unnecessary shriek of laughter. "Quiet, Bellatrix" he snapped. She fell silent immediately. "Now, let us get down to business. Rookwood" as he shouted, a nervous, twitchy man stumbled forward to face the great pale skull-like face of Voldemort. "You have been extremely helpful to me these past few months, you have earned your Lords gratitude." The man bowed low and hurriedly retook his place, obviously relieved at not having been punished. "Malfoy Jr." there was something noticeably bitter about the way in which Voldemort had addressed him and as the shortest Death Eater made his way to the centre, he walked in a hesitantly nervous manner.

"You have not worked hard enough," he said bluntly "Crucio". The boy's screams echoed hauntingly within the circular room, reverberating off the ancient wooden pillars. Snape's eyes darted to Narcissa, whom had balled her fists trying her hardest not to break down, as her only son was tortured in front of her. The curse lifted and Draco shakily got to his feet.

"I am sorry my Lord" he trembled. "I will not fail you again."

At this Voldemort's paper-thin lips curled into what can only be described as the most wicked smirk any of them had ever witnessed. It made Snape shudder slightly.

"See that you do not" he began softly, striding towards the shaking figure. He pulled his mask off to reveal a face shining with tears and eyes harboring absolute, unwavering fear. Silver met crimson and Voledmort ran one long, bone like finger down his cheek leaving a deep cut in its wake. "How alike your father you are, Draco" he said in a deadly whisper. "Be gone from my sight". With a small crack the young boy disapparated. Snape felt sure this was to be a long meeting.

Meanwhile, back at 52 Remords Close, Alexis Harrows was awakening from her magically induced slumber. The ceiling swayed before her drowsy eyes and for a few moments she believed herself to be back at home in the bedroom she had painted a light blue colour just 2 months previous. As the potion dissipated through her veins, flashes of recent events played through her mind and she sat bolt upright.

"Oh God."

The house was silent. Throwing herself from the bed she ran to the window and her jaw dropped slightly.

"What?"

Fog was completely obscuring the view of what would have been the next house over. Her hands scrabbled frantically with the lock and as it gave a satisfying click she wrenched the dusty pain of glass open.

"HELLO," she shouted "I NEED HELP," there was no answer. "CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?!" She jumped in surprise when a voice answered, but a second later felt her heart plunge with disappointment. "_HELLO. I NEED HELP. CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME."_ Her echo answered mockingly. She could feel her heart thumping wildly as her mind raced with thoughts and possibilities of what to do.

_There just shouldn't be fog in August…_

She ran to the door on the opposite side of the room, but her legs were still suffering the effects of the potion and gave way beneath her, sending her crashing onto the hard wooden floor. She didn't give in to tears but instead stood up, determined to reach the door no matter how badly grazed her knees were. Reaching out her hand, she twisted the circular silver knob, but no luck. The door simply refused to open, however hard she pushed, kicked or punched it. When her knuckles grew red and sore she gave up, throwing herself back onto the velvet bed and screaming into the pillows, tears of fury and frustration spilling from her eyes.

She had developed a phobia of feeling trapped ever since she had gotten stuck in a lift at the young age of 6. Her parents had stepped out of the sliding doors and she had made to follow them, but the metal doors had snapped shut with an ominous clang and the lift began to ascend of its own accord, Alexis frozen with fear and not knowing what to do. She had never before been separated from her parents.

The now 18-year-old girl sat up and attempted to regulate her breathing, which had become erratic and shallow, as being held captive in a locked room with no hope of escaping had pushed her over the edge

_No. I cannot have an anxiety attack here._ She recited to herself in a mantra, willing her mind to picture wide-open spaces. After a few minutes she had calmed down sufficiently and was once again able to think clearly.

_Try to remember exactly what happened…_she thought to herself.

_I left the house. I was walking to the train station. There was a lot of noise…_she put her head in her hands and closed her eyes in forced concentration.

_People. No, Death Eaters. They attacked me and I ran. Then everything went black. I woke up tied to a chair. A man spoke to me. He was still wearing his mask. I-I…_her mind had reached a dead end and she could not recall anything more.

_Maybe it will come to me if I sleep on it _she thought wearily, suddenly realising how cold she felt still wearing her tattered blue robes and how warm the velvet covers felt beneath her.

Severus Snape apparated once again into the dark hallway adorned by spider webs and dust as a result of years of neglect and misuse. It was larger on the whole when compared to his old longings at Spinners End, but he now spent such little time within its walls that he believed it unfit to be called a home.

Following the mornings tedious meeting (in which Voldemort had rewarded 3, punished 5 more and given the remaining a lengthy talk about how many giants would be joining their cause) the dark haired man had disapparated to an empty coast line which he had visited a countless number of times during his youth. He simply couldn't face returning to an empty house and his usual suffocating solitude…and the girl. He had pinched the bridge of his nose and stood frowning, listening to the waves crashing against the rocks. She would, no doubt be asking him unimportant questions and would probably try to attack him again.

Upstairs she was stirring, having been pulled from her dreams by the 'crack' which had issued from the downstairs landing.

He gazed up at the wooden stairs which were covered by an age worn red carpet. At least, he thought it would have been red back when the house was new, rather than the dingy brown it had now become.

Her breath caught in her chest as she heard footsteps approaching the door. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited. He inserted the doors ornate silver key and turned it, allowing the door to swing open and rest against the bedroom wall. As he stepped into the room her golden hair became visible- splayed across the black pillows where it shone like spun gold.

"Miss Harrows" she remained silent with her back to him but her eyes grew suddenly wide. She knew that voice. But from where?

"Your ability to feign sleep is terrible. Get up." He laid a venomous emphasis on the last 2 words. Reluctantly, she pulled off the warm bed covers and stood in front of him, looking down at the ground. He surveyed her appearance with slight curiosity and raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to your knees?" he asked coldly.

"Er…I-I fell" she said quietly, crossing her arms against her chest defensively.

"I see. Are you hungry?"

"No" she replied immediately. She would rather starve. He turned to leave.

"Wait" she said, remembering she wanted to ask something and took a step towards him. He turned to face her. "Why is it so foggy outside?" She could not see his face, for it was once again covered by a skull like mask, but she was sure he had thought her question strange. A few moments passed in silence.

"When you look out the window you can see fog?" he questioned, gazing out of the window and himself seeing bright blue sky and the tops of the trees which stood around the house.

"Yes." He pondered this for a moment. She met his gaze as he began to speak.

"The spell which is currently in effect upon you causes symptoms unique to each individual. It is possible that the fog you are seeing is simply an effect of said spell." He said smoothly, but she had only taken in half of what he had said before something in her mind clicked. She absent-mindedly clapped a hand over her mouth, which muffled the gasp she gave. She knew who he was. She stood, frozen to the spot in shock as his face flashed before her eyes from the previous day, looking down upon her with such loathing before force feeding her the potion which had tasted like warm ashes. As the door closed behind him and he once again inserted its key, the lock emitting a small click, she snapped abruptly from her thoughts and ran to the door.

"WAIT. Don't go! Don't lock me in here" she pounded the door with her small hands. "I can't stand feeling trapped. Let me out." He continued towards the stairs, ignoring her frantic calls. She continued to bang on the door hopelessly.

"Severus, please" she pleaded. His eyes narrowed to pin pricks in the instant it took for her words to register in his mind. He felt the blood drain from his face and tried to compose himself. Her choice of words had brought forth a stream of unpleasant memories. Pointing his wand towards the drawing room he summoned a pair of his old robes, took off his mask and pulled open the bedroom door. Alexis, who had still been banging jumped slightly as she found herself suddenly face to face with the man she had been taught by for 7 years of her life and whom was now her captor, without the door or a mask or a blindfold to hide behind. He looked livid and was paler than she remembered. He thrust the robes roughly into her arms and she felt her gaze stray unwillingly to his eyes, which seemed to crackle with furious electricity.

"_Never _address me by my first name" he said in a poisonous whisper. She gave a small, terrified nod. "And how, pray tell did you know who I was?" he hissed, their faces inches apart.

"Y-your eyes," she stammered. "Nobody has eyes like yours". Abruptly, he swept away from the door and back down the stairs, robes billowing and mentally berating himself for not remembering to conceal his voice. She stood in the now empty doorway clutching the pair of robes tightly to her chest, her heart beat racing and unsure of what had just happened.

* * *

Phew Im glad that chapter was over. I tried to make it longer than the other ones because I know I have a problem with writing decent lengthed pieces!! Please some more people review or I will be very sad and not feel like writing any more. Thank you to my 4 reviewers sniff I hope whoever's reading likes the chapter and ignores my TYPOS because theres bound to be some lurking in there. REVIEW PLEEEEEEASE!! 


	4. The Bitter End

**The Bitter End**

Since we're feeling so anaesthetised  
In our comfort zone  
Reminds me of the second time  
That I followed you home

We're running out of alibis  
From the second of May  
Reminds me of the summer time  
On this winter's day

See you at the bitter end  
See you at the bitter end

Every step we take that's synchronized  
Every broken bone  
Reminds me of the second time  
That I followed you home

You shower me with lullabies  
As you're walking away  
Reminds me that it's killing time  
On this fateful day

See you at the bitter end  
See you at the bitter end  
See you at the bitter end  
See you at the bitter end

From the time we intercepted  
Feels more like suicide...

See you at the bitter end

**The Bitter End- Placebo**

As she looked into the dusty mirror she saw a complete stranger staring back at her. Her face was paler, her once shining hair fell limp and lifeless about her shoulders, even her silver eyes seemed to have become a murky grey and the robes which Snape had given gave her the overall look of someone about to attend a funeral.

"I look like a bat," she mumbled, trying to fluff up her hair and failing. She sighed and listened intently to the silence that had fallen once more upon the house.

_I don't dare go downstairs and upset him further. But how am I supposed to know which rooms I am allowed in?_ There was still no noise permeating the dusty air. Taking a deep breath Alexis decided to leave the bathroom and explore the second floor. Stepping lightly over the landing- she winced as one of the floorboards gave a particularly loud creak of protest, but he did not seem to have heard. Reaching the door nearest to her right she twisted the knob- but the door was locked. Again, she reached the door to her left and tried to open it but it, too, was locked. She let out a sigh of defeat.

"You will find every room is locked barring the library, which you may visit. But if you disturb me again there will be hell to pay". Her breath caught in her chest as his cold voice travelled upstairs and she had to stop her legs from shaking. _I'm being held captive by a murderer… _Alexis pushed the thought out of her mind for the time being as it made her feel ill and headed in the direction where she thought the library to be, wanting desperately to escape somehow from the situation at hand.

-----

Since Dumbledore's death the Ministry had been in uproar, having to deal with daily murders and kidnappings, muggle's being assaulted left right and centre and _now_ the possible threat of giants being used to seize power. This war was turning out to be even worse than the last and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. And to top everything, Harry Potter had disappeared shortly after his 17th birthday in July and the Ministry had been unable to track him down since. Rufus Scrimegour sat behind his desk which was surrounded by stacks of towering papers, his pen scribbling furiously over the newest report of a kidnap occurring somewhere in Hersham. A knock resounded at the door and he quickly placed the report into one of the desks many draws.

"Come in Lola". A middle-aged witch entered the untidy office. She had short blonde hair, which appeared not to have been brushed for several days and wore a pair of creased black robes. Her appearance was dishevelled to say the least, and as she sat opposite the Minister his brow furrowed in concern.

"You wanted to see me Rufus?" she asked in a tired voice, placing her hands in her lap.

"Yes. It's about your daughter's recent abduction…" she nodded her head solemnly. "Yes, well, it seems to me that you should be given time off in order to cope with this terrible, _terrible _ordeal." She looked as though she was about to interrupt, so the Minister placed a hand on her shoulder consolingly. "You have nothing to worry about Lola, we'll take care of everything."

"Y-you don't have any leads yet?" The older man sighed.

"No, I'm afraid not. Of course, we know one thing, that it is the Death Eaters whom are responsible". Her brown eyes slowly filled with tears and she placed her hands over her face. "I'm so sorry Lola…"

"And what, exactly, are you doing to try and find her?"

"We have assigned a team of expert aurors to the case. It's only a matter of time before she is found, Lola."

"I was told the death eaters left their demands where she was abducted…" The silence that followed was thick enough to cut with a knife. Scrimegour cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I will not lie to you…yes, they did leave demands, but-,"

"But _what_, Rufus? She cut across, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"I cannot divulge them to you. I am sorry." Her chest heaved furiously and she stood up, knocking the chair she had been sitting on to the floor.

"She is my _only_ child Rufus. And yet you feel it necessary to keep secrets about the nature of her abduction from me? I have given my life to this Ministry, I have sacrificed more than you can imagine. But I am NOT," she slammed her fist against his desk "going to lose my daughter. If you won't help me, I'll just have to find her myself." She turned to leave, her hair flying wildly.

"Lola- if you are planning to take matters into your own hands, I have no choice but to have you arrested, for your own safety, of course." She turned to face him, her face contorted with rage.

"I'd like to see you try" and without another word she disapparated. Scrimegour sighed and returned to his paperwork. There was a knock at the door and Percy Weasley arrived holding his usual clipboard and pushing his horn-rimmed glasses back up his nose with the tip of his quill.

"Weasley, have someone follow Mrs Harrows. She is too valuable to us to be running around at such dangerous times." Percy was momentarily stunned at the Minister having remembered his name.

"Y-yes sir! And just one more thing sir, about my pay rise?"

"Goodbye Websley" the Minister barked, waving his wand and slamming the door in Percy's face.

-----

Alexis gasped at the sight that greeted her eyes. The room contained even more books than the library at Hogwarts. There must have been 100 shelves stacked full of books, each reaching towards the high circular ceiling. Alexis had always been fond of literature, a characteristic she had inherited from her father (or so her mother had always told her). As she stepped towards the shelf nearest her, her footsteps echoed loudly within the dusty space. It was an unnerving sound; with each step she took the books around her seemed to be muttering.

_Get a grip, they're only books. They can't speak. _

Running her finger along a row at random, she passed _torture curses of the 1300's: how to cause pain the old fashioned way, potions of a questionable nature, _and an old battered potions text book she remembered studying in her 6th year at Hogwarts. She was prepared to give up searching for something to read when a large book hidden in the bottom most corner caught her eye. Unlike the other hundreds of books, which were all black or dark in colour, this book was a light blue and didn't seem threatening in any way. As she bent down to remove the book, a sudden rush of sound made her freeze in mid-motion. Looking left and right to see where the noise had come from, she realised no one could possibly be in the room with her…

_But I could've sworn I just heard a woman's voice…_

Pushing away her thoughts, she tugged the book from its place. The front had an illustration of a handsome wizard in golden robes knelt beside a beautiful witch who appeared to be sleeping. Opening the cover, Alexis was surprised to read the title, _Muggle fairytales for magical children. _The book just seemed so out of place…

On the inside there was a message written in faded ink and, feeling slightly nosey, Alexis decided to read it.

_To my dearest son Severus, _

_Happy 5__th__ birthday! I hope your special day is as magical as these stories._

_All my love, mummy xx _

She stared in disbelief at the message for a few moments then, brushing her astonishment aside; Alexis turned the page and began to read. Unlike the classic muggle fairytales, these stories were printed in an extremely small font and seemed to stretch on for hundreds of pages. Making herself comfortable in a quiet, unseen corner of the room, Alexis began to escape the situation she had been forced into, and instead found herself in the story of Sleeping Beauty…

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Aaaaagh I really hope someone out there liked the chapter! Im sorry it wasn't very eventful, and I promise Im not going to make Snape turn out as one of those deep down caring soft people because thats just not IC!! I couldn't even think of a song to go with this chapter but anywho, if you loved it or hated it please review! The story looks sad with only 7 reviews. And p.s. as always excuse any typos that have evaded my gaze!! 


	5. Rain

**Rain **

I don't feel a thing  
And I stopped remembering  
The days are just like moments turned to hours

Mother used to say  
If you want you'll find a way  
but mother never danced through fire shower

Walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain  
I walk in the rain, in the rain  
Is it right or is it wrong  
And is it here that I belong

I don't hear a sound  
Silent faces in the ground  
The quiet screams, but I refuse to listen

If there is a hell  
I'm sure this is how it smells  
I wish this were a dream, but no, it isn't

Walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain  
I walk in the rain, in the rain  
Am I right or am I wrong  
And is it here that I belong

Walk in the rain, in the rain, in the rain  
I walk in the rain, in the rain  
Why do I feel so alone  
For some reason I think of home

**Rain – Yoko Kanno**

Snape as always, had been held behind after the morning's meeting. Voldemort gestured menacingly towards a chair beside him with his long bone-like fingers.

"Do sit down my old friend". Snape felt his arms erupt in goose bumps and was relieved he was wearing a long sleeved robe that day. He sat down awkwardly and was surveyed by the familiar cold, calculating, crimson eyes. "We have much to discuss about your little hostage. She is well?"

"Yes, she is in good health. My Lord, might I ask what your demands were?" Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously and Snape decided to clear his mind in case it was about to be invaded by the man sitting next to him.

"Well," he began slowly "as you have proved useful to me these past few months, your reward shall be information. In return for the girl, I ask only for her mother, a reasonable request don't you think?" Snape nodded and began to trace his lips absent-mindedly with one pale finger.

"And there has been no reply?" he questioned. Voldemort took in a sharp breath as if tasting the air.

"No, but it has only been 2 weeks. It seems the Ministry are, aware of her value, and are seemingly reluctant to give her up. In time she will join our cause, be sure of that, but you may be in possession of the girl for some time to come. Does this displease you?" Voldemort sneered sinisterly.

"No my Lord, it is my duty to serve you in whichever way you see fit".

"Faithful Severus, you haven't changed a bit since you came to me at the young age of 19. Always _so _different to Lucius, always so willing to follow the rules." He gave a hollow laugh which echoed in the silent room. "You may leave, but first, take this". Voldemort handed a letter to Snape as he stood up stiffly, gave a short bow and exited the room. He could hear the torrential rain pouring from the sky outside as he placed his Death Eaters mask on. The meeting place was only a short distance from his home and, feeling slightly reckless, he conjured an umbrella and decided not to disapparate. After all, who would dare to challenge Voldemort's right hand man as he walked down the street?

"No one" he muttered to himself, stepping through a large puddle. Of late, Voldemort had been acting strangely…being more frivolous with information and treating his followers and Snape in particular, differently. He was sure the recent growth in power had gone to his head, and that he had ever so slightly lowered his guard. No one was in the street as the robed and masked man reached the houses numbered 51 and 53. Stepping into the newly formed gap, he vanished the umbrella and opened the front door of number 52.

Once inside he pulled off a dingy sheet by the side of the stairs to reveal an old wooden mirror, which was cracked in the right corner. Discarding his mask along with the sheet, Severus Snape gazed into the mirror which reflected his whole body. His face was showing increasing signs of age and the bags beneath his eyes seemed larger than normal. At least his hair, he was thankful to see, held no flecks of grey and remained as black as coal.

"I'm not the same as I was back then," he muttered.

"Whatever gets you through the night" the mirror replied sarcastically. He frowned and snatched the sheet up off the floor.

"I remember why I kept you covered now," he snarled, throwing the sheet over the mirror and stalking upstairs. "MISS HARROWS" he bellowed, anger flowing through his veins and blood pounding in his ears. She appeared seconds later, white and scared looking outside the library door. "Come with me" he said coldly, striding in the opposite direction, his long robes billowing. She followed apprehensively, her mind racing with fear. Had she done something wrong? Was he going to punish her or…kill her? Her legs trembling, she followed him into a dark room at the end of the hallway where he closed the door and faced her abruptly. "You are to assist me in replenishing the very complex rejuvenation draught you so carelessly smashed the other day" he said smoothly, laying a venomous emphasis on the word carelessly. She nodded and he swept over to one of the many cupboards, heaving a great silver cauldron into the middle of the small room. It was so dark that she could barely make out the occasional flash of his dark eyes. "What are you waiting for? Light the fire" he ordered.

"S-sorry" she said, hurrying to find a box of matches and some oils. As the dancing flames roared into life, the room became covered in ghostly shadows and greatly resembled the old potions classroom at Hogwarts. Snape, having thrown his cloak into the corner, paused with several bottles in his hands and breathed in deeply.

"Lavender oil?" he shot across the gloom.

"Yes- I always found it helped the p-potion to keep for longer" Alexis answered quietly. He raised an eyebrow before continuing to gather the necessary ingredients.

"We shall see…"

An hour later the cauldron was full of a bubbling silver concoction about the thickness of custard. Neither had spoken a word to the other, and as Snape added the powdered moonstone, spectacular shimmering fumes began to fill the room, giving Alexis something to look at other than the man so absorbed in potion making. Beginning to stir the now rainbow coloured liquid, he bent over the cauldron and into the very fumes in order to observe its progress. She opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it, but unfortunately he had heard her hesitate.

"What is it?" he called through the fumes.

"I just- wanted to say be careful because, the fumes could knock you out…" she trailed off as he began striding towards her, his eyes glittering strangely in the firelight.

"You feel it necessary to warn _me_ about the dangers of potion making?" he sneered coldly.

"N-no. I'm sorry" she muttered, terrified.

"I thought not. Now chop these finely," he added roughly, pointing to a chopping board and a cup full of what appeared to be live ladybirds. Hands trembling, Alexis began to cut the ladybird's up- grimacing as they continued to jerk even after they had been cut in half. She could feel his presence surrounding her, and tried to steady the knife- but it was too late. A spurt of crimson issued from the deep cut and she cried out in pain, gripping her finger tightly.

"Show me your hand," he hissed, holding the finger up to inspect it. "Foolish girl" he muttered coldly, holding her hand in his and running his wand over the cut, muttering a healing spell. Alexis stood, frozen to the spot, watching the cut begin to stitch itself together. Looking into her captors face, his brow was furrowed in concentration and his thin lips were moving quickly. She was puzzled at how contradictory his actions were, his words stinging like needles, yet his touch gentle and considerate. Before she knew what was happening her finger had been healed and Snape had returned to the potion.

"Thank you". He looked up from weighing dragon scales.

"You must always be attentive when brewing potions. Don't let it happen again".

----

After 2 hours a glass jar filled with blood red liquid sat on the shelf of one of the many cabinets. As Alexis turned to leave, having cleared up all the worktops, Snape called her back.

"You worked well today. This is a small reward, though I am unsure of what it holds," he said silkily, holding the letter in his hand. She took it cautiously and proceeded to walk back to her room, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Once the door was shut behind her and she was satisfied that the lock had clicked, she slit open the envelope, her hands trembling with expectation.

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Haha bit of a cliff hanger there people. There might not be an update for a while, as I went a bit all out writing two whole new chapters (psst this is when you're supposed to review and tell me what you thought!!). So anyway, as ever I hope you enjoyed reading it even a teensy bit, and thank you thank you to my 7 reviewers! 


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